My Secret Admirer
by PJOandHP4Life
Summary: Annabeth Chase was in love with her best friend. And it was agonizing. After ten years of being his best friend, she expected to have her feelings wane, for him to find a girl and for her to find a guy and live happily ever after as best friends. But that was wishful thinking... Now, in their junior year of high school, things are about to change...
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! Look at that! I'm not dead! ****Life has been so busy recently! High school is crazy, now that it's summer I've finally gotten a break and time to write! ****So I started a new story instead of finishing the many I already started! Yay!**

**(I know, I'm annoyed with myself too.)**

**So I hope you enjoy this, it's a Percabeth fanfic as I haven't written many (read: I've written none) of those. I hope I can finish this before August is over. Then again, you know me so who knows when I'll be done.**

**Alright, I'm done talking (well, technically typing). Enjoy!**

* * *

"Annabeth! You're going to be late for school!"

Annabeth walked over to her dresser and looked at her hair in the mirror.

_Ponytail or a messy bun?_

It was pretty windy today, so she decided on a messy bun.

She was about to leave the room when something shiny caught her eye.

It was her bracelet, the one with an elastic string running through multiple mala beads, the multiple beads of ocean blue with a silver owl charm in the center.

She put it on her left wrist and lightly ran her fingertips over the beads with a smile. She yelled down an, "I'll be right there," to her father and hurried down the stairs.

When she got downstairs, her nose was immediately hit with the smell of freshly made coffee.

She walked into the kitchen to see her father sitting at the kitchen counter reading the newspaper while sipping his usual cup of coffee.

"Morning, Dad."

"Hmm," he looked up from the paper as she entered the room, "Oh, good morning sweetheart."

Annabeth gave him a quick hug, which he half responded to, as he was once again immersed in his paper, then she made a quick breakfast of a bagel with cream cheese. She took a bite out of it before she grabbed her school bag and pulled one strap over her shoulder. A loud car horn was heard from outside.

"He's been doing that for the last 15 minutes Annabeth."

"I know, I know, I'm running a little late today…" she moved towards the door as she put the other strap of her book bag over her shoulder. "See you later, Dad!" she said through a mouthful of her bagel as she walked out the door. He waved to her offhandedly, sparing a glance from his paper. "Have a good day!"

She shut the door and walked down the steps then down the driveway to the Prius that was waiting for her.

Annabeth opened the car door and said a quick hello to the driver at the wheel, "Hey, sorry I'm late."

"Took you long enough. What happened? Did you see a spider in the bathroom again and get held up by a short killing spree?"

"Haha very funny," she replied with a roll of her eyes, "No actually, I was just up so late finishing my AP Lang. essay that I almost missed my alarm."

Percy winced in sympathy as he put the car back in drive and started driving them to school, "Yikes, this is why I'm so glad that you didn't force me to take that class with you."

"Whatever," Annabeth groaned as she slumped down into her seat. "I have no idea how I'm going to get through the day. I'm exhausted."

Percy smiled, "Well, this might help."

Annabeth looked at him with a curious eyebrow raised only to have Percy hand her a cup of coffee, "Your favorite, a chai latte with a shot of espresso."

She sat up quickly and eagerly took the drink out of his hands.

"Ah, yes. I knew there was a reason I kept you around."

Percy side-eyed her, "Right, because you're only my friend because of the coffee benefits."

Annabeth took a sip of her drink and nearly melted as the warm liquid warmed her up on that cold winter day. She smiled, "Of course. That and the daily drive to school."

Percy scoffed but smiled playfully, "Whatever, I thought you might need it with how much work you've been busy with lately."

Annabeth tried to push down her blush, "Aw! You do care!" She teased him, ruffling his hair.

"Hey," Percy swatted her hand away, "watch it! I'm driving here."

After a few minutes, they got to school. Percy pulled into the student designated parking and barely a second after he parked, Annabeth was rushing out of the vehicle. She grabbed her book bag and speed walked to the building, Percy scrambling to follow her.

"Shit! We're so late! And I have that test in Organic Chemistry today!" Annabeth stressed as she ran up the steps to the nearest school entrance.

"Annabeth! Wait up!" Percy called out to her as he started up the stairs.

Annabeth kept up her pace until she got in the building, she then slowed down to a brisk walk as she hurried up the stairs to her chemistry class. "Sorry, Perce! I'll see you at lunch!" she spoke quickly before disappearing up the stairs.

* * *

"Ugh, food. Finally." Annabeth groaned as she plopped down in her seat at their lunch table. She nearly face-planted directly into her packed sandwich but thankfully managed to hit the table instead.

Piper sympathetically patted her head from her left as Jason wrapped an arm around his girlfriend's shoulder. "Tough morning?" she asked.

"Tough life," Annabeth mumbled from her head's current resting place on the lunch table.

_Maybe I can just stay here, this table is oddly comfortable._

The day wasn't off to a great start, she was late to Organic Chemistry so she had much less time to take the test than everyone else because apparently, she wasn't late enough to skip the test (her teacher had said such with a passive-aggressive tone when she had entered the room as if Annabeth had _planned_ to arrive late to school for that very reason.)

Then, in AP Lang. she learned that the essay she had been working on about The Great Gatsby was actually due tomorrow and they had an in-class seminar today about the new book they had just started, _Catcher in the Rye_. Which, of course, she had prepared _zero_ notes for as she was working on the essay. Thankfully, she had already read that book over the summer so she was able to get through.

And _then_, she had gone to Architectural Drafting which is usually her favorite class, except today they had to watch a very boring video about the Design Process for which she had to complete an open-notes test by watching the video. The narrator spoke so _fast_ Annabeth thought she was listening to Ancient Greek for a moment.

Sometimes, Annabeth really hated high school.

"Come on, Annie. It's time to rejoin the living," Thalia nudged her head from her right. Annabeth lifted her head just enough to glare at her friend, "Don't call me that." She then unceremoniously plopped her head back down on the table.

"Hey, guys! What's up?" Annabeth squinted up to see Percy walk over to the table, a lopsided smile lighting up his face.

Thalia sighed, "Oh nothing, Annabeth here just had a tough morning so now she's trying to 'become one' with the lunch table."

Annabeth was debating if it was worth it to lift her head and scowl at her best friend, who was being so unsympathetic to her unfortunate situation when she felt a hand on her head. She lifted her head to look up at the owner of said hand.

"Would you be willing to part with the table to eat some of my mom's famous blue cookies?"

Annabeth raised an eyebrow, "Is this a trap? This feels like a trap."

Percy grinned, "No trap, just free delicious food."

Annabeth eyed him suspiciously for a moment, hesitant to accept the hand which had moved off her head to offer a cookie, then she happily accepted the treat and lifted her head from the lunch table. "At least someone loves me."

Thalia snorted and Percy gave her a look, but Annabeth was too tired and too busy enjoying her cookie to care.

"Can you move over a seat, Thals?" Percy asked, putting his packed lunch and container of cookies on the table next to Annabeth.

Thalia raised an eyebrow, "Why?" She looked down at where Percy placed his food before continuing in a smug tone, "There's plenty of room on the other side of the table. Why must you take my seat next to Annabeth?"

"Because I was going to share my cookies with her," Percy deadpanned.

Annabeth hummed, "Can't argue with that logic."

"You can share them across the table," Thalia reasoned.

"Thals," Percy said with a look, he also seemed to be blushing, maybe he was hot?

Thalia rolled her eyes but moved nonetheless. "Fine. Whatever, _loverboy_. I get it, you want to sit next to your girlfriend—"

"She's not my—"

"—who am I to fight true love?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes, willing away the blush that tried to take over her cheeks from her friends teasing. "Stop being so dramatic, Thalia," and she grabbed another cookie from Percy as he sat down in Thalia's old seat.

"So, what happened this morning to make you so miserable?" Percy asked conversationally as he ate his PBJ sandwich.

Annabeth simply replied, "High School," and took another bite of her cookie.

"Well, at least you get a reprieve from the horror that is school with the wonderful gift of an hour-long lunch," Leo said optimistically beside Jason as he fiddled with some new contraption he made with straws and rubber bands. "Yeah! And we get to keep you company," said Hazel, while stealing a grape from her boyfriend Frank.

Annabeth smiled, "Thanks for trying to cheer me up, guys. But I still have a lot of work left to do in the rest of my classes. Not to mention the homework load and my afterschool stuff."

Percy nudged her shoulder, "You should take a load off, come to our study session today. You missed the last two and we can help each other with our work. And you can afford to miss soccer practice for one day."

Annabeth bit her lip, "I don't know… I have a lot on my plate, I don't think I can spare the time—"

"Aw, come on Annabeth! We haven't spent time together in forever! And we'd be studying so you can still get work done!" Piper reasoned. When she turned on her puppy dog eyes, Annabeth knew she was fighting a losing battle.

"Ugh, fine," Annabeth begrudgingly agreed, "but someone better buy me my coffee."

Percy put an arm around her, "That's what I'm here for," he said jokingly with a smile.

As the topic of conversation changed, Annabeth caught Thalia's eye. She raised an eyebrow and nodded her head towards Percy's arm around her shoulder and the end of her lips lifted in a teasing smile.

Annabeth blushed and sent her a look that said, "Shut up!" before listening back into the conversation.

* * *

"You can't just keep on like this Annabeth. You like him, he likes you. I don't see the problem!"

They were throwing away their trash from lunch before going back to sit at the table when Thalia decided to start up her favorite argument, "Annabeth and Percy should be together and would be if Annabeth would finally 'woman up' and ask him out!"

"Thalia," Annabeth sighed, tossing her water bottle in the recycling bin, "you keep forgetting the main flaw in that plan, I'm not even sure if Percy _likes_ me like that."

"Oh, come _on_, Annabeth! We both know that the boy is head-over-heels for you. Everyone knows that!"

"We don't know for sure! He's an overly affectionate person. You know how every time he tries being 'nice' and 'polite' he ends up flirting effortlessly with some poor girl. So many girls have asked him out only for him to respond when questioned that they were just being nice. If I even tried to ask him out he'd think I was asking to hang out like normal. Heck, if I said 'I love you,' he'd say, 'Love you too, bro.' "

Thalia winced as the two started walking back to their table, "Okay, I'll admit it. The boy's as oblivious as they come. But I _know_ he likes you! He doesn't treat anyone else like he treats you. He practically worships the ground you walk on."

Annabeth raised a skeptical eyebrow, "That's a little dramatic, Thalia."

"Maybe, but he doesn't drive any of the rest of us to school every day and back without fail, even when he had a cold."

"That was one time, and I sent him back home immediately, of course."

"He doesn't buy the rest of us coffee whenever we need it, doesn't send us soup when we get sick."

"You know that's just the Sally Jackson in him, he couldn't help it if he tried."

"He doesn't share his cookies with just anyone either."

"He shares with you!"

"I have to snatch them from him."

"_And_, he _definitely_ doesn't stare at any one of us as much as he does with you, especially not smiling like _that_," Thalia whispered in her ear before walking over to her seat as they arrived back at their table.

Annabeth looked at Percy to see Thalia was right, he was smiling at her, with his special Annabeth smile. Maybe she was right about more than that. Maybe…

_No, he's your best friend. You two have been together since first grade, 10 years ago. You've just developed a very close bond over the years. Yes, maybe you've seen him as more than a friend for nearly half that time, but that doesn't mean he has._

Despite herself, Annabeth's face still felt a little warm when she sat down next to Percy and he immediately put his arm back in its place around her shoulders.

* * *

Once lunch was over, Annabeth walked with Percy to her next class, Pre-Calc. They usually walked together because Percy had a class in the hallway beside hers. Then they would walk to one of the only two classes they shared, Latin.

Percy swung their hands between them as they walked through the busy hallway.

Annabeth noticed he'd been doing that a lot lately: holding her hand when they walked together and putting his arm around her shoulders like he did at lunch. Heck, one time he even walked up behind her while she was reading and put his arms around her then casually asking if it was interesting.

It wasn't unusual for Percy to be touchy-feely with his friends, he often put his arm around Hazel when he teased her for having a crush on Frank, or drop a kiss on Jason's cheek when the two kept up the long-running joke that the bromance the two shared was more of romance.

But he's been acting more cuddly towards Annabeth recently, often pining for her attention.

It was admittedly cute, but also confusing. Did he want to be more than friends like Thalia said? Or was he just being Percy?

"So," Percy started, effectively interrupting Annabeth's train of thought. "What were you and Thalia bickering about at lunch?"

...And her train of thought was effectively back on course!

Annabeth snorted, try to deflect the question, "I'd say you two were doing the bickering." "Eh," Percy shrugged, "nothing more than our usual cousin quarrel." He looked down at her, "But you looked a little frustrated when you got back to the table, your face was flushed and you didn't even fight for the last cookie like you usually do."

_Huh, apparently he's not as clueless as I'd hoped. _

Percy gave her a look of concern, "Are you feeling alright? Maybe you're sick, that'd explain the lack of appetite."

Annabeth internally rolled her eyes at him. _Yet he manages to still be just clueless enough to not notice my crush on him, wonderful._

Percy, oblivious to Annabeth's internal struggle to resist the urge to strangle the cluelessness out of him, frowned down at her. "Is that what you argued with Thalia about? If you're feeling bad, you should go to the nurse. I can walk with you if you want."

"No, no, I'm fine Percy. Thalia and I were just talking about the usual annoying school stuff. I'm not sick."

Percy's frown didn't let up, "Are you sure? Here, let me check your temperature." Before she could repeat that _she was fine and to stop worrying_, he stepped in front of her, causing Annabeth to stumble to an abrupt stop, and placed the back of his hand on her forehead as he checked her temperature.

For what felt like the hundredth time today, Annabeth had to push down the heat rising to her cheeks as Percy peered down at her in concern, _damn his height, it feels like he's always looking down on me._

"You do feel a little warm, are you sure you don't want to go to the nurse?" Percy asked, but he didn't remove his hand as he waited for an answer.

_My face isn't warm because I'm sick you idiot. It's warm because you seem to have forgotten the concept of personal space._

"I'm _fine_, Percy," she batted his hand away scrunching up her nose as she tried to fight off her undue embarrassment at him coddling her. "Come on, let's get to class, the bell is about to ring."

Percy still seemed worried, but he sped up as he realized she was right and while they had more time after lunch to get to their classes, they still had to face the oncoming rush of students.

Just a second later, the bell rang and the halls started to fill with students that trickled out of the classrooms at a steady pace. The flow of teens was almost overwhelming, but the two managed to stick together until they got to Annabeth's class.

Percy let go of her hand, which he was holding as they had maneuvered their way through the sea of hormones, and said goodbye. "Good luck with your math project!" he smiled as he watched her enter the classroom from the doorway.

"And good luck with your World History test," Annabeth replied, lingering near the doorway.

"Excuse me, love birds, but other people need to get to class, you know," Leo grumbled as he tried to get past Percy into the classroom.

Piper followed behind him and swatted his arm, "Stop it, Leo. I think they're cute."

Annabeth glared at her trying to silently ask her friends to _shut up_. "Pipes, for the millionth time, we're not dating."

Both Piper and Leo gave her a bland look, "Riiiight."

Percy just chuckled and with one last wave to Annabeth, he left for his class and the three friends sat down in their usual seat beside each other.

A few minutes later, the bell rang and the teacher told them to split up into their groups for their project. "You have the entire class period to work on this," he said. "It's due Wednesday so I expect all of you to use your time wisely." And with a meaningful look to the class, his eyes lingering on a few of the more excitable and easily distracted students (see: Leo), he left them to their work.

Immediately Piper scooted her chair closer to Annabeth's, "So, you and Percy seem to be attached at the hip lately. Is operation Percabeth finally underway?" She said that last part with a suggestive eyebrow wiggle.

Annabeth scoffed, "Come on, Piper. You know it's never going to happen. At this rate, I'm starting to doubt Percy will ever notice I like him."

Piper waved her hand in dismissal, "Yes, yes. We all know Percy is as thick as a brick. But that shouldn't stop you from asking him out!"

Annabeth sighed in exasperation. She knew her friends just wanted to see her happy, but their badgering was getting a little aggravating. Not to mention that it acted as a constant reminder that she and Percy were _not_ a couple, no matter how cuddly he seemed.

"Forget it, Piper. Let's just work on the project."

Piper shrugged, "Alright, but I'm just saying, I think you two could be an awfully cute couple if one of you would just take a leap of faith and ask the other out."

Thankfully, Piper left it at that, and they continued to work on their math project until the end of the period with no more talk of Percy and Annabeth's relationship.

* * *

After the last class of the day, Annabeth walked to her locker before going to the parking lot and waiting for Percy to give her a ride home, as usual.

When she got to her locker, what looked like a slip of paper was stuck hanging out of the slits in the locker.

Annabeth frowned, confused. _Did a teacher have a paper for me and left it here? Wait no, that's silly. They could have just sent a student to give it to me, or called me to their room or even sent it in an email. It must be something else?_

Annabeth walked up to the locker and upon closer inspection, she realized that it was an envelope.

Her confusion growing, she took the envelope out of the slit and turned it over to see it was addressed to her. Her name was written on it in fancy cursive that she didn't recognize from any of her teachers.

_Annabeth_

Annabeth's curiosity peaked, she opened the envelope to see a typed letter inside.

As she still had some time left before Percy would be done packing his stuff, she decided to read it.

**_Dear Annabeth,_**

**_I know you are probably confused by this letter. You might even be confused enough to stop at your locker and start to read it just to quench your curiosity. You're probably tilting your head in that cute puppy dog way of yours wondering how I know all of this. And now you're probably scrunching up your nose like a bunny rabbit at my frankness._**

**_You can rest assured, I'm not some creepy stalker that plans to kidnap you and keep you in my basement. Wow, that was creepy. Forget I said that. Please. I swear I'm not this awkward usually. I'm just really nervous… I can't believe I'm writing all of this down. Whatever, I'm most likely going to chicken out and not give this to you anyways._**

**_Okay! Back on topic! What I'm trying to say here is, I like you. And I know that you're probably even more confused now because "What the heck? Who is this random person (I'm a guy by the way) that's professing their interest for me in this weird love letter?"_**

**_Well, I can't reveal my identity to you as the whole purpose of the love letter is to be anonymous, that's also why this is typed and not handwritten. Also, my handwriting is terrible, and I want to have a nice first impression._**

**_Well, that's not completely true, we've already met. I just don't want you to immediately throw this away because of my horrendous handwriting. Not that I think you would be that mean! You're probably one of the nicest people I know!_**

**_You are! Don't you raise that doubtful eyebrow at me!_**

**_I'm getting off-topic again, aren't I? Sorry._**

**_So, yeah. I like you. Like-like I mean. I sound like a third grader don't I? I just wanted to try to tell you. And I want to woo you. So I decided to write you love letters every week, every Thursday, to try to win you over. I hope you overlook my awkward rambling and give me a chance._**

**_Well, this letter got out of hand, I promise the next one will be shorter._**

**_Until next time!_**

**_With Love,_**

**_Your Secret Admirer_**

Annabeth stared at the letter in shock. _I have a secret admirer?_

Before she could think about it any further she got a text from Percy.

**Seaweed Brain:**_ Hey, where are you? I'm not usually in the parking lot before you. Are you okay?_

Annabeth looked at the time on her phone and to her surprise, it was almost 3:30 PM. She usually got out to the parking lot by 3:15 PM as school let out at 3 o'clock. She quickly typed out:

**Annabeth: **_Sorry! I'll be there soon. I got held up at my locker._

And with that, she put her phone away and quickly put her things away and grabbed her stuff for homework. She shrugged on her coat, shut her locker, and rushed outside to the parking lot.

The wind had picked up outside and kept blowing her hair in her face. She had taken it out of a messy bun a while ago so her hair was a little all over the place. She paused to pull on her beanie and hood before continuing at her fast pace to the parking lot.

The sky was cloudy, but thankfully, there was no sign of rain or snow. It was just cold.

The student parking lot was half full by now. A few afterschool clubs were held today so many students were staying after.

Annabeth caught sight of Percy in his usual spot, sitting inside his car. His eyes were searching the lot, most likely looking for her.

She waved to him when she was close enough and he waved back, unlocking the car as she walked up to the passenger side.

"Hey," Percy said with a smile watching her pull the door closed as she settled into her seat.

Annabeth forewent greetings as she took off her bag. "It's so cold out there! My hands are freezing off and I was only out there for under 5 minutes!"

Percy chuckled, "Well, we do live in New York," he said starting the car and preparing to back out of his parking space.

"Ugh, don't remind me. I love the city, don't get me wrong, but I do miss the California winters."

Percy snorted, "What winters?"

"Exactly," Annabeth replied, rubbing her hands together to warm them.

Percy laughed at that as he turned onto the main road.

After a short while, they reached a stoplight.

"So…" Percy started. Annabeth turned to look at him, he was watching the road, fingers drumming against the steering wheel. "Hmm?" she prompted him to continue.

"What took you so long to get to the parking lot? I can't remember the last time you were late, excluding whenever you stay after. You're usually teasing me for always taking so long."

Annabeth wondered if she should tell him about the note. He was her best friend after all.

But then again, he was her crush.

_How would he react? Would he support me having a relationship with another guy? Or will he fight for me? Or what if... what if he won't even care? What if he just congratulates me and brushes it off? I… I don't think I could stand that…_

Annabeth shook her head, she was overthinking this. Besides, he would figure it out eventually if the mystery guy kept his promise to write her a new letter each week.

"I, uh, I was held up by my teacher so I was late to my locker, and then I had some trouble getting it to open," she lied.

Annabeth was confused with herself. Why had she lied? Percy would find out about the guy anyway. It didn't make sense…

Annabeth could feel Percy's eyes on her. She tried to ignore it but his eyes didn't move. She had to meet his eyes. If she shied away he would know she was lying and bug her until she finally told him the truth. And then he'd probably question her about why she lied in the first place. No, she would maintain eye contact and remain clam.

Annabeth faked a confused look, turning to look at Percy. She tilted her head and frowned, "What is it?"

Percy was staring at her with an unreadable expression. Multiple emotions swirled in his sea-green eyes. She could identify surprise, confusion, and… was that hurt?

"Percy?"

Percy shook his head, "Huh?"

Annabeth opened her mouth to ask what was wrong when she was interrupted by a car horn from behind them.

Percy turned back to face the road, "Oh! The light turned," and he moved forward.

Annabeth frowned. _That was weird._

She decided to think about it later. She had more pressing matters to deal with.

Annabeth had a secret admirer.

* * *

**And done!**

**~PJOandHP4Life**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Thanks for all the favs and follows! I'm so glad that people like this. Here's a new chapter, it's a little shorter than the last one, but this is more of a filler chapter. But don't worry, the next chapter will have another letter and some more fluff. I got a review asking about my update schedule. Well, any schedule I set might change once school starts, but for now, I'll try to update once a week. Now, enough of me talking, enjoy the story!**

* * *

"Hey, so are you coming to the study session today? Because I need to know if you want me to drop you off at your house or not," Percy asked. His eyes flickered over to look at her before looking back at the road.

Annabeth turned to him with a frown before realization flashed across her face. Right, the study session. She almost completely forgot.

"Oh yeah, we can head straight to the library. I brought my laptop with me to school so I have everything I need," Annabeth replied.

"Cool," Percy nodded. "Are you going to come to Aunty Em's after? We were planning to get dinner there."

Annabeth shrugged, "Sure, why not. We haven't been to Aunty Em's in forever."

A few minutes later, Percy pulled into the library parking lot. The two exited the car and walked up to the building. Piper, Jason, and Leo were waiting inside.

"Hey, guys!" Piper waved them over and rushed forward to hug Annabeth. "I'm so glad you decided to come, Annabeth! We haven't hung out in forever."

Annabeth returned the hug with a smile, "Hey Pipes. But remember, this is a study session, not just an excuse to hang out."

Piper pulled back from the hug and winked, "Right, of course."

Annabeth fondly rolled her eyes before saying hi to Jason and Leo.

"Where's Thalia?" Percy asked, looking around for their punk friend.

Jason shrugged, "She said she was on her way. I guess she's running late."

They decided to go set up at their usual table and wait for Thalia. In the meantime, the gang caught up with each other, school has been so busy recently that this is the first time they all got to hang out (outside of lunch) in weeks.

Annabeth tried to stay engaged in the conversation, but her mind kept wandering back to the love letter she found in her locker.

It sent her mind reeling. How could _she_ have a secret admirer? It's not like she knew anyone with a crush on her. And it wasn't like any guys had tried to approach her, she gave off a don't-come-near-me-or-I'll-skewer-you vibe to most people. At least, that's what Piper told her.

And what should she do? Her heart had been set on Percy for the last 4 years. She couldn't see herself moving on to a new guy any time soon. And even if she gave this secret admirer a chance, it wouldn't be fair to date someone when you had lingering feelings for someone else would it?

Maybe she should write him back and explain how she just wasn't ready for a relationship with another guy right now…

But then would she be giving up her only chance to find a guy who actually wants to date her?

She needed to get a second opinion…

Just then, the library doors opened to a panting Thalia who rushed over to their table. "Sorry guys! I was busy with some after school stuff and lost track of time," she rushed out before plopping down in a seat next to Annabeth.

"Shush!" A young woman, probably part of the library staff, shushed Thalia as her loud entrance had caught the attention of quite a few library patrons. Thalia just flipped her off behind her back and smiled at the group. "So, what are we up to?"

"Well," Piper said, "We were about to start quizzing each other for midterms." She laid out some premade flashcards for their shared Physics class.

Thalia smirked, "Aha! I already took Physics so I don't have to worry about that anymore," she said triumphantly.

"Yes, but you still have just as many midterms to study for as the rest of us Miss Senior," Annabeth remarked. Thalia shrugged, "Yeah, that's true. But junior year is no joke. Some say it's the most difficult year of high school."

Piper snorted, "Ain't that the truth. I have four midterms all on the same day, which is ridiculous because they're supposed to be scheduled so that doesn't happen! I think my teachers just hate me."

Jason rubbed her shoulder in sympathy, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, "Don't worry. I think they hate us all."

That made the table laugh a little before they decided to start the study session. Jason and Leo studied for their Engineering class. Leo quizzing Jason as he was the best student in the class. Thalia and Annabeth were studying for their shared Organic Chemistry class while Percy and Piper were proofreading each other's English essays.

After a little while, Annabeth finally gathered up the courage to talk to Thalia about the secret admirer. She shuffled the flashcards in her hands before speaking softly, "Uh, hey, Thals?" she asked.

Thalia raised an eyebrow at her, confused about why Annabeth wouldn't meet her eyes. "Yes?" she asked, stretching out the word a little.

Annabeth glared at her a little, but continued, "I, um, I found something at my locker… and I wanted to… talk to you about it." Annabeth said slowly with a meaningful glance at her friend.

Thalia nodded slowly, "Okay... then let's talk."

"Uh… I actually wanted to talk in a more... private setting." Annabeth's voice lilted up at the end of her sentence. Thalia nodded in understanding, "Ah, I see."

Thalia stood up suddenly and smiled at the group, "I need to use the bathroom, I'll be right back." She turned and aimed a wink at Annabeth before walking off.

After a few minutes of pretending to be studying her notes, Annabeth stood up as well, the squeak of her chair being pushed back causing the table to look up as they were once again distracted from their studying.

"Sorry," Annabeth smiled apologetically, "I just need to get a book, I'll be right back." And with that, she walked off wandering through the bookshelves until she got a text from Thalia.

Thals: _Right behind you… _

Annabeth turned around to see Thalia waving at her, a bookshelf away. She smiled and made a "come hither" motion with her finger. Annabeth rolled her eyes at her friend's antics but walked forward all the same.

Thalia chose a good spot for their talk, both of their forms were hidden from the view of the table, and far enough away from anyone that they shouldn't be heard. Plus, the books there were actually on Organic Chemistry so if anyone from their table walked by, they could easily pretend to have stopped there to look for a book.

Thalia grinned at Annabeth now that she was close enough that they could talk in hushed tones, "So, what did you find at your locker that has you so shaken up?"

"Um, well… There was a note..." Annabeth trailed off, suddenly feeling foolish for making such a big deal out of this.

Thalia raised an eyebrow, "A note?"

Annabeth bit her lip, "Yeah, well, more of a letter really."

"Okay," Thalia stretched out the word, prompting Annabeth to continue. "A letter about… what?"

Annabeth fidgeted, she didn't know why she was so nervous all of a sudden.

_Come on, Annabeth. Just spit it out._

"It was a love letter, actually," Annabeth rushed out. "Addressed to… me."

Both of Thalia's eyebrows shot up, "Someone wrote you a love letter?"

"… Yes?"

"Who?"

"I don't know!" Annabeth snapped at her, "It was anonymous. Who even writes those anymore? It was probably just a prank." Annabeth folded her arms and looked away from Thalia's piercing eyes.

"Well?" Thalia waited for Annabeth to look back at her. "What?" she frowned.

"Did it seem like a prank?"

Annabeth thought back to the letter and despite how much she wanted to just pass it off as only a prank… she couldn't deny the authenticity of the letter. A prank letter wouldn't be so long, or as awkward. The letter she read was… a little too personal to be fake. Even if it was mostly awkward rambling.

"_That was kinda cute_," Annabeth thought offhand.

"Hello? Earth to Annabeth?" Thalia waved her hand in front of her face.

Annabeth blinked, a blush rising in her cheeks as she realized she got a little lost in her head. "Sorry, I was just considering it. I don't think it was fake… but why would someone write me a love letter? It just doesn't make sense."

"Hey!" Thalia pointed at her. "You are a catch. I don't want to hear any self-deprecating words from you."

Annabeth rolled her eyes, "No, no. It's nothing like that. It's just… If someone likes me, why wouldn't they just go up to me and say so?"

Thalia gave her a blank look, "Annabeth, you punched the last guy who tried to hit on you in the face."

"Well, he was a douchebag! That doesn't count." Annabeth grumbled.

"And you give off a very strong, don't-come-near-me-or-I'll- gut-you vibe."

"No, I don't!"

"The last guy who tried to ask you for help on their math test you scared off with a glare."

"I didn't glare at him! He just caught me on a bad day and my face is just like that sometimes."

"Hey," Thalia raised her hands in a placating gesture. "You don't have to tell me about the hardships of having a resting bitch face. I'm just saying, maybe you can be a little intimidating."

Annabeth sighed, "I know, I know. But I just don't know who would write me a love letter?"

"I could make a guess," Annabeth gave her a look. "It's not Percy, Thalia."

Thalia huffed, "I'm just saying, you shouldn't rule him out yet. And right now, I think he's your best bet."

Annabeth rolled her eyes, "Yeah, except Percy isn't intimidated by me. We've been friends for too long for me to scare him."

When Thalia didn't respond, Annabeth narrowed her eyes at her, "Thalia, Percy _isn't_ intimidated by me."

"Not to burst your bubble Annabeth, but I think everyone in our friend group is a little intimidated by you," Thalia remarked. "Well, except for me, of course.

Annabeth scoffed, "I'm not that scary, Thalia."

Thalia patted her shoulder, "Sure, honey. You're just a little ray of sunshine."

Annabeth shrugged her off, "Whatever, we're getting off-topic. The point is, I don't know what to do. I've never had someone write me love letters before, let alone be interested in me."

Thalia scoffed, "Plenty of boys have been interested in you Annabeth, it's just most of them were idiots that only wanted to sleep with you."

Annabeth's lips stretched in a light lipped smile, "Thanks Thalia," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "That makes me feel so much better."

Thalia grinned, "Alright, alright. So you have this guy interested in you who seems genuine enough to get you flustered—"

"I'm not flustered!"

"—and you don't know what to do about it. Am I correct?" Thalia finished.

"Yeah, I guess so," Annabeth mumbled, her cheeks warming up in embarrassment.

"Well, how many letters has he written to you?" Thalia asked.

"I only received one so far, but he said he would write a letter to me every week."

"Do you want to date him?" Thalia asked bluntly.

"What? No!" Annabeth shook her head. "I don't even know the guy!"

"Okay, but if you did know him, would you want to date him?"

"I don't know! I… I don't think so. I mean, I still like Percy. I can't just date someone else. And I'm not so desperate as to date the first person who shows a true interest in me," Annabeth frowned. "And I don't want to lead the guy on."

Thalia hummed, considering the situation. "Well, do you want to write him back and tell him that you already like someone? Or do you want to let it play out?"

Annabeth thought about it. She didn't want to shut him down so quickly, she'd feel bad and not to mention she didn't even know how much or how long the guy had liked her. She could break his heart for all she knew.

Then again, she didn't want to accidentally lead him on and let him start to hope for a relationship with her when she wasn't even sure if she would be willing. She didn't want to date someone she barely knew, but she didn't want to give up what could be the only opportunity to be with someone who genuinely liked her.

And then there was her thing with Percy…

"I think, I think I'll wait for the next letter. Just to see if this guy truly wants to 'woo me.' It could still be a prank after all. And if I don't like the letter, I can write back and tell him I'm not interested." Annabeth nodded, determined to follow through with her decision, it sounded reasonable enough.

Thalia slowly nodded back, "Okay, that settles it." She smiled, "Now, let's go back to our table before they start to get suspicious or our whereabouts."

The two walked back to their table, Thalia got back first before Annabeth arrived a few minutes later with a random book she selected from the shelves.

When Annabeth sat down, the table was oddly silent. Everyone looked at her for a few seconds. Annabeth frowned, "What? Is there something on my face?"

Piper smiled innocently, "No, you're good."

That made Annabeth raise an eyebrow, but Piper's smile only grew.

Jason coughed into his hand, hiding a smile before the two started to talk as they resumed studying.

Annabeth turned to look at the rest of the table, a question in her eyes, but Leo immediately looked down and started reading through his book and Percy seemed to be looking anywhere but at her.

_Weird._

Annabeth shrugged it off and went back to her studying, it probably wasn't important anyway.

* * *

After an hour of studying, the group decided to call it quits and left the Library.

"Ugh! I've been staring at my AP Chem book for too long. I have Planck's constant burned into my retinas," Piper complained as soon as they were outside and walking to the parking lot.

"That's technically impossible. For something to be burned into your retinas—"

"Ah, ah, ah! No more nerdy talk Annabeth," Thalia swooped in. "Time to relax."

Annabeth rolled her eyes, and Percy smiled, putting his arm around her shoulders. "Yeah, Annabeth. Studying is over for now. Try to let loose for once."

Annabeth scoffed, "Whatever Jackson. We're still heading to Aunty Em's for dinner right?"

Leo grinned wildly, "You know it! Those cheeseburgers are calling my name."

The group laughed before splitting up to go to their respective vehicles.

Thalia walked up to Annabeth just before she and Percy got in his car.

Percy raised an eyebrow at Thalia, but she waved him off with a smile, "Just have to talk to Annabeth here real quick. Don't worry, I won't keep her from you too long."

Annabeth widened her eyes at her friend's teasing. "_Thalia!_" she whisper-yelled, urging her to stop.

Thalia's smile only widened. "Sorry, sorry. But I wanted to ask you," her tone turned serious as she lowered her voice so that only Annabeth could hear her, even though Percy was in the car already.

"Did you tell Percy, about you-know-what?"

Annabeth bit her lip, "No… not yet."

She expected Thalia to chastise her from keeping this a secret from Percy but instead, she was met with a soft smile and reassuring shoulder squeeze. "Okay, I just wanted to know if we could talk about it around him."

Annabeth was surprised, "You… you're okay with me not telling him?"

Thalia raised a judging eyebrow, "No, I definitely think you should tell him. He is a part of this, whether he knows it or not, but it's your decision."

Thalia patted her shoulder once more before stepping back. Annabeth was about to open the door, assuming the conversation was over, when Thalia spoke up again, "Just remember, he'll find out about it sooner or later. And I don't think he'd like to know that you didn't tell him."

And with that, Thalia started walking away to her bike, "See you at Em's!"

Annabeth blinked, before waving back as Thalia zoomed out of the parking lot.

She shook her head, deciding to think about all of this later, and finally got in the car.

"Hey, you good?" Percy asked once she buckled her seatbelt.

Annabeth tried for a reassuring smile, but it probably came out as more of an awkward grimace. "Yeah! Yeah, I'm fine."

Percy raised an eyebrow, "Okay…" and he started to pull out of the parking spot.

They sat in silence as Percy drove away from the Library. Percy tapping at the steering wheel and Annabeth try desperately to not think about her love letter.

"So, what did Thalia want to talk about?"

Annabeth turned to Percy, but his eyes flickered back to focus on the road, he gripped the steering wheel tighter.

"Oh, uh, nothing much." She didn't want to lie to him, she already lied earlier about her locker. Well, technically only withheld information, but that still counts as lying.

But it's not like she can just say, "_Oh, we were just talking about this love letter that I got in my locker today, but I didn't tell you about it because I think I'm in love with you. Haha, isn't that funny?"_

Yeah, no.

Percy didn't seem to buy it, but fortunately, he didn't ask any more questions.

Unfortunately, the rest of the car ride was paired with a heavy awkward silence.

_Wow, I could cut the tension in here with a knife…_

The silence was finally broken when they got to the restaurant and met up with their friends.

The place was set up like an old school diner, it was kinda retro. Despite the old style, it was fairly popular, although that was most likely because it was the closest fast-food restaurant by Goode High School (the school they all attended). There was even a jukebox, although it mostly played pop songs.

Percy and Annabeth walked in to see that everyone else was already inside. Leo and Jason were ordering at the counter while Piper and Thalia were sitting at their usual booth (the only one that would seat them all).

"Hey losers, you're late," Thalia smirked at them from the table.

"What? Did Percy drive like a grandma?"

Percy went over and ruffled her hair before narrowly avoiding a punch, "Hey, pinecone face. At least I don't drive like a madman."

"Mad_woman_," Thalia corrected.

Annabeth smiled, "Alright, scoot over." Thalia moved over, sliding her cheese pizza with her, and Annabeth sat down next to her. She looked to Percy, expecting him to sit beside her like usual, but he remained standing.

Annabeth raised an eyebrow, "Aren't you going to sit?"

Percy smiled, "I'll go order our food first. You want your usual right?"

Annabeth nodded and Percy walked off.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Thalia nudged her side, "So? Did you tell him in the car?"

Piper raised an eyebrow, sipping her soda before leaning forward. "Ask him what?"

Thalia looked to Annabeth and she explained. "Well, I was at my locker at the end of school and—"

"She found a love letter from her secret admirer," Thalia cut her off.

Annabeth glared at her, "What? You were over-explaining."

"I was literally about to tell her—"

"Wait, wait, wait. So what I'm hearing is, Annabeth has a secret admirer?" Piper looked between them, her eyes wide. "When did this happen!?"

Annabeth shrugged and fiddled with her scarf tassels, "Earlier today."

"Yep," Thalia smiled, taking a bite of her cheese pizza, chewing and swallowing in record speed before finishing her sentence, "and now she's freaking out about it because she's already head over heels in love with Percy."

"_Thalia_." Annabeth stressed, but Piper just laughed, "Sorry Annabeth but she's right."

Annabeth groaned, "You guys are terrible, I confide in you and you bully me," she put her head down in her arms.

"Aw, 'Beth. We're not trying to bully you—"

"I am," Thalia points out.

"I'm not trying to bully you," Piper continued in stride. "It's sweet that you have a secret admirer. But… you already like Percy so…" she trailed off, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "Wait, are you going to try to date this secret admirer guy?"

Annabeth lifted her head "...No?"

Piper nodded slowly, "Okay, you don't sound sure about that."

"I mean, I don't want to date some random guy I don't even know… but he did have the courage to say he liked me and try to win me over with love letters. I don't want to just knock him down."

"But what about your crush on Percy?" Piper asked.

Annabeth snorted, "Isn't that the question I've been asking myself repeatedly ever since I read that letter." She shrugged, "I still like Percy, that's the one thing I'm sure about."

Piper only looked more confused, "So, what are you going to do?"

"She's just going to wait it out," Thalia spoke for her.

"Who's going to wait out what?" Percy asked, walking back to the table with their food: a classic cheeseburger with fries and a turkey club sandwich. Jason and Leo were following behind him. Leo was carrying a burger and cheese fries while Jason held BLT and a large Caesar salad.

The girls all gave each other a silent look, before turning back to face the boys.

"Oh nothing," they said, smiling innocently.

Leo raised an eyebrow, "Well, that was creepy."

Jason sat down next to Piper, handing the salad to her and Leo sat down next to him, immediately digging into his burger.

Percy sat down beside Annabeth and handed her the club sandwich, "Your usual."

Annabeth smiled, "Thanks."

As they all enjoyed their meal, Annabeth couldn't get the thought of her secret admirer out of her head.

She repeatedly caught herself imagining what he would be like, and if… if he'd be anything like Percy.

But that wasn't fair, she couldn't compare them like that. Heck, she didn't even know the other guy! At least, she doesn't _think_ she knows him, but he seems to know her pretty well. So it must be someone she's talked to, right?

_I guess I have to wait for the next letter to find out. Maybe they'll clue me in on their identity._

Percy laughed loudly beside her at something Leo said, and she smiled back at him.

_Well, even if they end up being an amazing guy, they probably won't compare to him._

* * *

**Aw! Annabeth's love for Percy is so sweet. I'll definitely have to write more scenes just between them in later chapters. Reviews are always appreciated! Until next time!**

**~PJOandHP4Life**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey, guys! I'm sorry the update is late. Life has been busy for the last few days. And school is coming up so there's that. I hope you like this chapter. There is definitely more Percabeth moments. Plus! Another letter! And I'm sorry that this chapter isn't very long, but hey! There's a letter and Harry Potter jokes so I think that makes up for it. Alright, enjoy! (And thanks for the favs, follows, and reviews!)**

* * *

_*one week later*_

It was the beginning of the school day. The building was starting to fill with students and teachers alike. There were only 10 minutes left until the first bell so students were lingering at their lockers before they had to get to class.

Annabeth maneuvered her way through the halls to get to her locker. The secret admirer had left his first letter at the end of the day, so she wasn't expecting any surprises until then.

"Hey, Annabeth!" Annabeth looked up to see Thalia already waiting in front of her locker.

"Isn't today the day loverboy gives you the next letter?"

Annabeth sighed, "I wish you wouldn't call him that, but yes."

She quirked an eyebrow, before turning to put in her locker combination. "You know, I didn't expect you of all people to get so invested in this."

Thalia shrugged. "It's the first time you've ever had a secret admirer. Sue me for being curious."

Annabeth rolled her eyes and opened her locker. "It's really not as big of a deal as you're making it. He probably didn't even remember to—"

A folded slip of paper fell out of the locker and landed down on the floor beside Thalia's foot.

Thalia bent down to pick it up, reading the name on the paper, Annabeth's name was written in the same fancy cursive as before. She smirked and waved the paper in front of Annabeth's face. "You were saying?"

Annabeth snatched the paper from her, "Shut up, he's early today. The last time it was at the end of the day. I guess he's trying to be unpredictable, smart. That way it's harder for me to discover his id—"

"Hey, guys! Did I miss it?!" They turned to see Piper waving at the other end of the hallway, Jason standing next to her. She quickly made her way through the crowd over to the two girls. "Did Annabeth already read the letter? What did it say?"

Thalia put her worries to rest, "She hasn't read it yet. She was stalling." Thalia smiled smugly.

Annabeth glared at her, "Shut up, Thalia. I wasn't stalling." She turned to Piper, "And I don't know why you're so invested. I thought you weren't into high school romance as much as other girls. As you've said yourself, there are more important things to worry about."

Piper waved her hand in dismissal, "While I stand by that statement, one of my best friends has a secret admirer! And it's the one who already has the hots for a _certain someone_. I may not be that interested in high school puppy love, but _this_ is definitely entertaining."

"_And_ we're here for support," Thalia said, putting her arm around Annabeth's shoulders.

Piper nodded, "Yes, of course! Now read it! I'm curious."

"Okay, okay. But I'm not reading aloud." Annabeth relented. She looked at Thalia, who was slyly leaning over her shoulder to read along. "A little space please."

Thalia smiled innocently but backed off.

_I wonder what he wrote this time._

**_Dear Annabeth,_**

**_Hi! Here's your next letter, just as promised. I hope you liked the first one, the one drawback of the anonymous letters is that I don't know if you actually read the letter or not. Well, I'll just hope you like them._**

**_So, I guess the first letter wasn't much a love letter but more of an introduction to the many love letters I plan to write in the future. To make up for it, this one will be more "lovey-dovey" as they say. Get ready to be wooed!_**

**_You're the most beautiful girl I've ever met. I know you're not interested in looks, but you still manage to look amazing without effort. Your curly blond hair reminds me of a princess. You might not like them because of the silly stereotype of dumb blondes. But I know that you're the smartest person I know._**

**_I often find myself caught up staring in your serious gray eyes. I know they aren't the most eye-catching color, but I like how they make you stick out. Plus, it makes your glare especially effective. I pity anyone on the other end of it._**

**_And you aren't just beautiful because of your looks. Your personality adds to your beauty and is the main reason why I like you. You're a no-nonsense type of person and don't let anyone push you around._**

**_It's a little funny because I'm the opposite, but I think we'd balance each other out well. Plus, I wouldn't mind if you'd glare at me, then I'd get to see your beautiful eyes focused only on me._**

**_Then there's your brain. You are probably the smartest person I've met or will meet in my lifetime. And you don't let it inflate your ego either. You still manage to be so modest when you're probably the most amazing person I know, second to maybe my mom of course._**

**_I should probably wrap up this letter now. I hope you have a good day!_**

**_With Love,_**

**_Your Secret Admirer_**

"Wow, this guy's really into you huh?"

Annabeth whipped around to see Thalia leaning back from her shoulder. She glared at her, "Thalia!"

"What? You were taking too long to read and I got curious. But I stick by my statement, the guy's fawning over you."

"Aww! I wanna see!" Piper said. While Annabeth was distracted, she reached over and snatched the letter from her hands, thankfully not ripping it in the process. She immediately began reading it, cooing and awwing at the appropriate moments.

"This is so sweet! It isn't even filled with cheesy overused compliments!" She looked back up at Annabeth, a smile stretching across her face. "I think you got yourself a keeper Annabeth."

Annabeth took back the letter, "Yeah, except I'm already into _you-know-who_ remember?" she snapped.

"Annabeth's crushing on Voldemort?"

The girls looked up to see Jason walking over with a raised eyebrow and teasing smile. He slung an arm around Piper's shoulder as soon as she was in reach. "I think he's a little old for you, Tom Riddle, however… I completely understand." Thalia punched him in the arm. "Haha, very funny. You know who we're talking about."

Jason rubbed his arm, but continued smiling, "Hey, no need to get violent, sis. And yeah, of course, I know. What I am curious about is why Annabeth would be blurting that out in the middle of the school hallway. We're catching a bit of attention."

Annabeth blushed as she noticed that he was right, many of the people around them had their eyes on her, surprised at her outburst. Thankfully, most high schoolers are much too busy with their own business to stay interested in her drama, and the people around them turned back to their conversations.

"So," Jason continued, "What are you girls arguing about? Teasing Annabeth about her crush on Percy, I assume."

Annabeth frowned at him, "No, it's nothing really."

Thalia scoffed, "Yeah right," before filling in her brother on the information that was _private Thalia!_

"Annabeth here has a secret admirer who's been giving her letters anonymously via locker." She took the paper from Annabeth and showed it to Jason.

"Does no one care about my privacy?" Annabeth asked, but was ignored as Thalia and Piper explained the situation to Jason while he read over the letter.

"So you see, Annabeth doubted the guy at first. She thought it could be a prank, a reasonable concern, but as it turns out, the guy was serious and kept his promise of a new letter each week," Thalia explained.

Piper continued where Thalia left off. "And now Annabeth has to figure out if she'll either try to date this secret admirer or refuse him because she's head over heels in love with you-know-who."

"Annabeth's in love with Voldemort?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes, "Haha, very funny Jason, but you already made that joke."

"Uh, last I checked, I wasn't Jason."

Annabeth turned around confused, to see Percy standing behind her.

"Percy! Hi..." Annabeth trailed off, her heart beating rapidly. _Please tell me you didn't hear more than that!_

"Hi," Percy said, lifting an eyebrow at the strange greeting. "What were you guys talking about?"

"Nothing!" they all said, smiling innocently.

Both of Percy's eyebrows went up. "Okay? Well, Annabeth. We're going to be late if we don't head to class soon."

"Right! Right. Let me just get my things," Annabeth said, turning back to her locker to get her binders and notebooks.

Once she was done, she shut the door and smiled at her friends. "Alright, see you later Thalia, Piper, Jason."

"Bye Annabeth!", "See you at Lunch!", and "Bye!" were the respective responses.

As Percy and Annabeth walked to their next class, Annabeth panicked in her head.

_He was right behind me! How much did he hear? He isn't asking any more questions so I can assume he didn't hear much. Then again, he seemed suspicious of us, but we did respond oddly when he asked what we were talking about. Oh, wait! He's talking to me, I better tune in to what he's saying or he'll be more suspicious._

"—was that?" Annabeth only heard the tail end of what Percy had asked but she assumed he was talking about their weird response earlier.

"Oh, uh, nothing, as we said. They were just teasing me," Annabeth replied, trying to appear as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

"About a crush? You have a crush on someone?"

_He doesn't sound as surprised as I thought. Instead, he sounds a little... hurt?_

"What, no. Me? Having a crush?" Annabeth easily deflected. "Percy, when's the last time I had a crush on someone?"

"Well… you did have a thing for Luke—"

"How many times do I have to tell you, I did not like him," she denied, trying to ignore the burning on her cheeks as Percy looked at her.

"You stared at him constantly and blushed when he talked to you during our freshman year."

"So? I admired him a little yeah, but it wasn't a crush."

_I was too busy falling for you_.

"It sure _seemed_ like a crush," Percy mumbled under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing."

They didn't talk anymore on the way to class. Percy seemed to have something on his mind and Annabeth didn't think he felt like talking.

Annabeth frowned after they waved goodbye and split up to go to their respective first periods. _Maybe he heard more than I'd thought..._

* * *

"Wait, so you haven't told Percy?" Jason asked.

They were in Physics class sitting at their shared table. They had a substitute teacher so Jason was taking the opportunity to question Annabeth about her secret admirer. Percy also had the class, but he was a few tables away sitting with Piper so he shouldn't be able to hear them.

As long as Jason kept his _voice down_.

"No, I haven't," Annabeth whispered back, answering another question about the article they had to read. It wasn't even about Physics, just some random news article vaguely related to science.

**_2\. What was this article about?_**

_About a third of the population will sneeze excessively when exposed to bright light._

"Why not?" Jason asked. He had finished his worksheet early so he was using his free time to question Annabeth. Yay!

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because I would rather not have my crush know everything about my love life."

**_3\. What is the name of this phenomenon?_**

_It is called the photic sneeze reflex._

"Okay, I see your point. But did you consider this as a sign? Maybe the universe is pushing you two together by giving you this secret admirer?"

Annabeth frowned at that before answering another question.

**_4\. Which famous philosophers wrote about this strange topic?_**

_Both Aristotle and Francis Bacon wondered why some people sneeze when exposed to bright light._

"That doesn't make any sense Jason. I mean, it's not like Percy is my secret admirer."

Jason coughed loudly, causing Annabeth to look up from her worksheet and shoot him a worried look. "You okay?"

Jason nodded, coughing once more, "Yeah," he cleared his throat, "Yeah, I'm fine. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, maybe the appearance of this secret admirer is a sign that you should figure out your feelings for Percy sooner rather than later, or else there might be some broken hearts."

Annabeth didn't look convinced, "I think you're over-analyzing this. Besides, I know my feelings for Percy. _His_ feelings for _me_ are the issue."

"Okay, Annabeth. But he is going to figure it out sooner or later. He's your best friend. I think you should just tell him."

Annabeth didn't respond, she looked down at her worksheet.

_Maybe he's right. I should just tell him._

She felt eyes on her and turned around to see Percy looking at her from the back of the class. She smiled at him and he smiled back.

_Yeah, I'll tell him today._

* * *

"So, do you want to hang out after school?" Percy asked, walking with Annabeth to through the hallway.

Annabeth shrugged, "Yeah, sure. I don't have too much homework, so we should be able to hang out." She smiled at him, as they neared her locker. "Want to finish another episode of Sherlock?"

Percy smiled, "You always want to watch Sherlock. I'm starting to think you have a crush on him."

Annabeth smiled, "Well, have you seen those cheekbones? Can you blame me?"

Percy laughed, "Well, now I know what I have to compete with."

Annabeth punched him in the arm, "Shut up. Besides, Sherlock wins, no question."

"Hey!"

Annabeth laughed, opening her locker to get out some things for her next class.

She grabbed a few books and closed the door. "Sorry, Perce, but even you can't compare to Benedict Cumberbatch."

She turned to smile at him but he was staring behind her at her locker with a strange face.

Annabeth furrowed her eyebrows, "What is it? Did something fall out?"

_He didn't see the letter, did he?_

Annabeth's heart rate picked up. She turned around ready to hide the letter and try to talk her way out of his suspicion. Yeah, she said she would tell him today, but not like this!

Percy looked back at her and his face cleared up, "Huh? Oh, no. It's… nothing."

Annabeth frowned. _It doesn't sound like it's nothing. What's wrong?_

"You know I was joking about the Sherlock thing, right?"

Percy nodded distractedly, "Yeah, yeah. I just thought I saw something weird."

Well, that did nothing to reassure Annabeth's racing heart.

"R-really? What?"

Percy shook his head, his midnight black hair moving with it. "It's probably nothing. Come on, let's head to lunch. I'm hungry."

Annabeth didn't buy it, but she let it go. She snorted, "When aren't you?"

Percy nodded, the comment bringing his lopsided smile back to his face, "True."

Once they got to their lunch table, Percy immediately started to eat the lunch his mom packed for him. Taking a big bite out of his sandwich and a big gulp of his favorite blue cherry coke.

Annabeth frowned at his sloppy eating, mostly annoyed that Percy even made _that_ look endearing, but Percy just shrugged, "I shwaid I wash hungwy."

Thalia nodded solemnly, "Yes, he's a growing boy. He needs his nutrients."

"Yes, Annabeth, you can't blame the poor boy for his hunger. Especially since we have one of the late lunches," Piper added.

"I know, but still, he should eat slower or he'll choke."

Percy scoffed, "I won't ch—" He started to hack as a bite of his sandwich got lodged in his throat.

Annabeth patted him on the back as he coughed, however, there was no sign of sympathy on her face as she smiled at him smugly. "Told you so."

"The power of the jinx everyone." Leo laughed.

Percy only grumbled, "Whatever. I'll eat slower, _M__om_."

Annabeth smiled and patted his head, "That's a good boy."

Percy pouted, which was adorable in Annabeth's humble opinion. "I'm not a dog."

Thalia snorted, "Could've fooled me."

He glared at her and she stuck out her tongue.

"Children, behave." Annabeth gave them both a look before eating her lunch.

After lunch, Percy and Annabeth were walking to their next class, as was routine, when Annabeth decided to tell him.

"Hey, Percy?"

Percy looked down at her, his sea-green eyes focused on her. "Yeah?"

_You can do this Annabeth. So what if he doesn't immediately proclaim his love for you and challenges the secret admirer guy to a battle of the death?_

Annabeth frowned at her thoughts.

_Okay, that was a little extreme._

_What I mean is, it doesn't matter if he doesn't act jealous or seem bothered by the thought of another guy trying to date you. He'll still be your best friend. Just say it and get it over with._

"Uh, well... Remember when I told you that I had some trouble with my locker last week?"

Percy stiffened beside her, causing her to look up at him. He was looking straight ahead, but she noticed that he suddenly seemed nervous.

"Uh, yeah. Vaguely."

Annabeth frowned, but continued despite Percy's sudden stiff profile, "Yeah, so I actually found this weird letter left in there for me. It was addressed to me by someone who… who claims that they're a secret admirer."

Percy was silent next to her, the longer the silence stretched the more awkward she felt. _Why isn't he saying anything?_

"A… a secret admirer?" Percy finally spoke up. His voice was a little shaky which did nothing to wave off Annabeth's concern.

"Yeah, weird right? I didn't know anyone did that anymore. The whole love letter thing, I mean." Annabeth forced a chuckle, trying to ease them out of this awkward situation.

_I can't tell if this is going better or worse than I had hoped._

"Ha, yeah…" Percy trailed off. He was frowning at the ground. How he managed to look handsome while frowning she had no idea. But with his eyebrows pulled tight into a serious expression, it was kind of—

_Woah, Annabeth. Focus._

"Was that what you guys we're talking about earlier? When you guys were acting weird at your locker?"

_We need to get better at lying. I knew he'd caught on to us. I blame Thalia and Piper._

"Uh, yeah. It was. But I'm not in love with the guy! I mean, when they were talking about you-know-who it wasn't… him?" Annabeth tried to explain.

Percy tilted his head, "I'm sorry, I'm confused."

Annabeth took a deep breath. _Come on Annabeth, you can do this._

"What I mean to say is, I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier about the secret admirer."

"Oh, uh, okay. But you have nothing to be sorry for you know. I know we're best friends, but you don't have to tell me everything. I get that it might have been weird to tell me about a guy that has… a crush on you. I honestly take no offense. Trust me, I don't want to know the gritty details of your love life."

Annabeth was both relieved and tense.

_I'm glad he isn't mad that I didn't tell him. But what did he mean about the gritty details of my love life? Was I right and he's simply not interested in who I like? Or does the thought of anyone dating me make him as jealous as I would be if the situation was reversed?_

_This love thing is so confusing._

"Hah, yeah. Same. So… we're good?"

Percy nodded, seeming relieved, "Yeah, of course. Everything's good. All good."

Annabeth smiled, and patted his shoulder, "Yep, all good."

Annabeth could have sworn she saw a light flush on his cheeks but it was gone after a second look.

"Well, uh, do you think you might like this guy?" Percy asked.

Annabeth shrugged, "I mean, I've only gotten two letters from him. I don't think anyone can start crushing on someone that fast." She smiled. "But he's sweet, at first I thought it was a prank, not many guys have been knocking at my door if you know what I mean."

"Hey," Percy grabbed her hand. "You're amazing. And you don't need a bunch of douchebags hitting on you to know it." He smiled, "Actually, it's probably better that way right? You don't have to deal with swarms of guys fawning over you."

Her lips stretched into a smile, "Yeah, that's true. Now I just have to deal with one guy fawning over me, huh?"

Percy frowned, "Wait, what? Who? Is it someone I know? If they're bothering you I can talk to th—"

He broke off as Annabeth collapsed into giggles.

"No, no! I was talking about you, idiot."

Percy's blush was quite noticeable this time, and definitely wasn't a trick of the light.

"Sh-shut up."

Annabeth smiled at him, her laughter tapering off.

Now that the atmosphere of their conversation was light once again, Annabeth realized that while talking they had passed her next class. She turned around and walked back, waving to a confused, and still blushing, Percy. "See you later, Perce!"

Percy blinked before belatedly waving back, "Oh, uh, see you!"

Annabeth's smile widened. Maybe Percy was a little confusing, but now he knows about the secret admirer so that's one weight lifted off her shoulders. She should try not to worry so much and just see how things play out.

Who knows, maybe Jason was right and this secret admirer will push her closer to Percy.

_Or… if Percy doesn't like me then… I could always give the guy a shot, right?_

Either way, things were changing, slowly but steadily. And hopefully, for the better.

* * *

**Yay! She told him! Time for very awkward Percy and endlessly confused Annabeth. Next chapter will probably come with another letter and jealous Percy. (And the article Annabeth read was real. I would put the link here but I can't. The title is "Looking at the Sun Can Trigger a Sneeze" and it's by the Scientific American.****) Until next time!**

**~PJOandHP4Life**


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm so ****_so_**** sorry I'm uploading so late! I've been really busy, and I'm working on three other stories... Anyway, it's really no excuse. But! I am updating now. I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Once school was out, Annabeth met up with Percy beside his car, as usual.

"Hey," she smiled at him as he walked up to his car. She was leaning against the trunk and stood up straight to meet him.

"Hey," Percy smiled back. "Are we still on for Sherlock? My house?"

Annabeth nodded, her eagerness shinning through her smile as she walked over to the passenger side. "Definitely. Do you think Sally will have a snack ready for us, or should we pick up something?"

Percy shrugged, getting into the driver's seat. "Well, she usually does so I think we'll be fine."

The drive to Percy's house was short and filled with conversation. Now that Annabeth had told him about her secret admirer, she felt as if a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. She wasn't as tense around him. Things were falling back into place like they were before she ever got the first letter.

When they were only 10 minutes away from Percy's, Annabeth plugged in her phone to the AUX cord.

"You better not start playing some girly pop music." Percy side-eyed her, a teasing lilt to his smile.

Annabeth scoffed, "As if I would ever do that." And then proceeded to play her broadway musical playlist; the familiar opening riff to the beginning of the Broadway hit musical Hamilton resounded throughout the car.

"Right, but a rap musical about historical figures of the American Revolutionary Era is much more mainstream," Percy said, the sarcasm in his voice was thick.

"One: Who said everything had to be mainstream? Two: Shut up, Percy. We both know you love Hamilton as much as I do."

Percy rolled his eyes, but Annabeth knew she was right as he smiled despite himself.

A few songs later and they were pulling up to Percy's house. Annabeth was snapping along to the prologue to West Side Story when Percy parked the car and turned off the engine.

Annabeth glared at him, "Rude." She started to unbuckle her seatbelt.

Percy shrugged innocently, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You're just bitter because I cut off 'Waving Through a Window' in the middle of the chorus," Annabeth replied as she got out of the car.

"Hey! Whatever is sung in the car stays in the car!" Percy protested as he got out of the car.

"Whatever Perce." Annabeth shook her head trying to hide a small fond smile.

"Come on, I want to finish at least three episodes before I have to go and we both know I tend to get caught up in the show and lose track of time."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm coming." Percy walked up the driveway and unlocked the front door for them.

"And we have to finish our homework first," Annabeth said, walking through the opened door.

"Ugh, Annabeth. You take the fun out of everything." Percy pouted as he followed her, closing and locking the door behind him.

"I'm just being the responsible one. Someone has to be, right?" Annabeth smiled at him.

"Annabeth? Is that your voice I hear?" A voice called from further inside the house.

Annabeth turned to see a young, middle-aged woman walk around the corner, drying her hands on a dishrag.

Annabeth's smile widened. "Sally, it's nice to see you."

Percy's mother quickly came forward and hugged her. "It's good to see you too, honey. You rarely come around anymore! You should visit more often."

Annabeth hugged back, savoring the kind of motherly warmth only one of Sally's hugs could have.

"Sorry, school has been busy recently. The teachers are cramming to teach us everything before our midterms. Plus the studying itself has kept me fairly busy."

Sally pulled back from the hug, pushing back some of Annabeth's hair with a smile.

"Hey, just ignore me. It's not like I'm your only son or anything."

Sally and Annabeth rolled their eyes in unison before looking fondly to a grumbling Percy.

"Yes, yes, it's nice to see you too honey." Sally patted her son on the shoulder to placate him before walking away. "Do you two want a snack? I just started making sandwiches."

Percy was easily distracted from his pouting by the thought of food and followed his mom into the kitchen with Annabeth following behind him.

Sally was chopping up a tomato to put the slices on the four sandwiches she was making. Annabeth moved to the sink to wash her hands and help.

Sally smiled at her as she stepped aside to let Annabeth place slices of honeyed ham and turkey on the slices of bread laid out.

"Thank you, honey. At least _someone_ helps around the kitchen." She leveled a look at her son, who just happened to be trying to sneak a cookie from the decorative bee's nest cookie jar kept on the top of the fridge.

Percy froze where he stood, arm outstretched above him with one cookie already in his mouth.

With his body outstretched, a small sliver of tan skin was visible just above his jeans.

Annabeth's eyes were drawn to it, her gaze lingering before she caught herself and looked away.

_Come on, Annabeth. You're better than that._

Percy slowly lowered his arm, thankfully hiding that traitorous sliver of skin.

Although the memory of it still left a blush on Annabeth's cheeks.

Percy tried to smile innocently around his mouthful of chocolatey chip goodness. He quickly closed his mouth and chewed the cookie before swallowing. "Heh, Sorry Mom. I was hungry."

"You could have just waited for us to finish making the sandwiches." Annabeth pointed out.

"Yeah, but… cookies?"

The women shared a fond look before turning back to their sandwich assembly line. The sandwiches were made efficiently, Annabeth has been helping Sally make snacks for them since they were 10. The whole grain bread was layered with ham, turkey, cheddar cheese, lettuce, and tomato. The sandwiches were cut into triangle halves.

Sally did the finishing touches, putting the two sandwiches on a floral tray and taking one for herself.

"Enjoy your snack, I'll be in my study if you need me."

Percy quickly moved over to the table and grabbed one of the sandwiches, it was already halfway in his mouth when Annabeth raised an expectant eyebrow.

Percy paused and mirrored her lifted eyebrow, his eyes full of confusion.

Realizing Percy had no idea what she was waiting for, Annabeth spoke for him, "Your welcome Percy."

Percy was still confused before his eyes lit up in realization and he finally removed the sandwich from his mouth, "Thanks, Mom!"

"Your welcome sweetie!" She yelled back.

Annabeth shook her head at him and picked up half a sandwich herself. "Your manners always fly out the window when food is involved."

Percy shrugged, swallowing a bite of his sandwich, "What can I say? Food can be very distracting."

They finished their snack at the table and then moved to the living room where their Sherlock binge session would take place.

"Finally, time for TV." Percy immediately flopped onto the couch, expecting Annabeth to follow suit.

Instead, Annabeth walked over to her book bag which was left by the door and lugged it over.

"You know, just because we don't have school tomorrow doesn't mean we should push off homework until the last minute."

She sat down beside him on the couch, pulling out her laptop.

"We should finish at least one assignment first."

Percy groaned, "Ugh, why do you always have to be such a good student?"

He tried to push aside the laptop and plop his head down in her lap, but Annabeth, used to his antics, quickly batted his hands away before he could.

"You know, most people would rejoice in the gift of a professional development day on a Friday and just enjoy their three day weekend."

"Well, good thing I'm not like most people," Annabeth smartly replied, already getting absorbed into her Physics lab report.

"No, no you're not."

Percy spoke so softly Annabeth just barely heard him, lifting her eyes from the Theory of Relativity to see Percy giving her a soft look.

Since she foiled his attempts to put his head in her lap, he was laying down with his head resting on the outside of her thigh. His midnight blue hair was getting on her keyboard as he tilted his head back.

He was looking up at her with his fond sea-green eyes, the end of his lips tilting up in a small smile.

Annabeth could feel a flush rise to her cheeks and quickly shoved him off.

"Get off of me! I'm trying to work here. Go work on your stuff."

Percy, not expecting to be swatted away, immediately fell off the couch to the floor in a heap of scrambling limbs.

Annabeth's embarrassment was easily forgotten as she tried and failed to stop a laugh at Percy's clumsiness.

Percy pouted from his place on the floor as she burst into laughter.

"Rude."

Annabeth eventually got ahold of herself, "Sorry, but your clumsiness can be very entertaining."

Percy grumbled, and grudgingly went over to the door to retrieve his book bag.

Annabeth thought back to that look he was giving her. He looked so… fond. Like he thought Annabeth being far from normal was somehow… charming?

_No, I'm getting ahead of myself. He was probably lost in thought, thinking about the three day weekend or something._

Percy reentered the living room before Annabeth could think about it any longer.

He sat back on the floor in front of the coffee table and pulled out a few notebooks and a binder. He pushed some stray coupons and magazines out of the way before getting to work.

They worked on their homework for about 10 minutes before Percy got bored.

"So…" he trailed off, flipping a page of his notebook absentmindedly.

"How long do you think finishing your essay outline will take?"

"It's not an essay outline, it's a Physics lab."

"The same question applies."

Annabeth sighed, she knew that Percy would only keep bothering her until she agreed to watch the show.

"Can you manage to entertain yourself for 20 minutes?"

Percy thought about it, "Maybe 10."

Annabeth relented, "Alright. I'll try to be quick."

About 10 minutes later, Annabeth was trying valiantly to work on her lab report while Percy incessantly poked her knee.

"Percy, could you please stop." She was hoping he would have gotten wrapped up in his work and lose track of time so _she_ could finish _her_ work.

Clearly, she had set her hopes a little too high.

"But you said ten minutes!" Percy pouted up at her from his place on the floor.

Annabeth knew that somewhere deep down she loved this boy and would do anything for him.

But right now, she was using all of her willpower not to smother his face in a couch pillow.

"I know, I know, just give me five more minutes. I'm almost done." She pet his head placatingly, refusing to look down at him and fall prey to his world-renowned puppy dog eyes.

Five seconds later…

"_Aaaannaaaabethhh…_"

_Lord, give me strength._

"Fine! I'm done." Annabeth angrily closed her laptop and moved her stuff to the table, grumbling about annoying teenage boys that never let her get anything done.

She plopped back down on the couch and grabbed the remote.

"Let's just watch the show, you big baby."

In true childish fashion, Percy beamed up at her and jumped up on the couch with a cheerful, "Yay!"

Annabeth rolled her eyes at him, more fondly than she would have liked, and signed in to Netflix.

A few minutes later, both teens were invested in the misadventures of a certain famous detective (or _consulting_ detective as he calls himself) and his partner/best friend/love-interest/doctor.

They were in the middle of watching The Abominable Bride when Percy shifted beside me.

"So…"

"Hmm?"

Percy didn't respond so she glanced at him.

He was looking at the screen, his posture stiff. He fiddled with his favorite ballpoint pen that he was using early with his homework. He twirled the small piece of plastic between his fingers, his eyes were unfocused, looking unseeingly at the television.

The sea-green oceans were murky as they turned to glance at her for a moment, before quickly turning back to the television.

"So, uh, about this 'secret admirer' guy… do you have any idea who it is?"

I raised an eyebrow at this, "Uh, no. I haven't considered any possible suspects yet."

Percy nodded, "Oh, cool, cool…"

"What?" I asked, turning to face him. He was acting a little off… maybe he knows who it is?

"Did you have a hunch?"

"Pssh! What? Of course not— wait, I don't mean that in a rude way!" Yeah, he was definitely blushing now. He must know. "I was just wondering about… who it could be, you know?"

I nodded slowly, still confused by his behavior.

"Yeah, okay."

_If he knows, why wouldn't he tell me?_

Percy nodded again, it was more of an awkward jerk this time, "Yeah, right."

And then the conversation was over, they both turned back to the TV and finished watching one more episode of Sherlock before Annabeth decided to head home.

"Bye Sally, thanks for having me over."

Sally came forward to wrap her up in a warm hug. "Of course sweetie, you should come over again soon. We miss you here." She pulled back with a smile, brushing a strand of hair out of my face.

She smiled back. "I'll try, they should lighten up the homework soon."

"Well, that's good to hear. Alright Percy, drive her home."

"Yeah, Mom. I'll be back soon." He gave her a side hug and then we both walked out the door to the Prius waiting in the driveway.

The drive was short, Annabeth didn't live that far away. So they just put on some music from the radio and enjoyed the short car ride.

A few minutes later, Percy pulled up to Annabeth's house.

"Alright then, see you tomorrow seaweed brain." She ruffled his hair before opening her door and stepping out of the car.

Percy smiled back at her, "See you later, wise girl. I hope the secret admirer thing works out."

Annabeth tried not to frown at that.

_Wait, he wants me to date him?_

She forced her smile to stay in place.

"Yeah… me too."

* * *

"Well, it isn't Percy."

Thalia raised an eyebrow at her, looking up from the exponential graph she was sketching.

They were working together in their shared PreCalc class. Their teacher was fond of having them work in groups so they had decided to get together and finish the mini project she had assigned them.

"Uh, am I supposed to know what that means?"

Annabeth looked up at her and sighed. "I told Percy about the secret admirer yesterday."

That caught Thalia's attention. Her lightning blue eyes grew wide and she leaned forward in her chair, lowering her voice to more of an urgent whisper.

"Wait, really? What did he say?"

"Well, he was considerate, he didn't seem that jealous or anything."

"Wait, you _want_ him to be jealous?" Thalia leaned back, a smug smile growing on her face.

Annabeth flushed, "What, no! I mean… kinda? I don't want him to be jealous, but if he is then I know there might be a chance at him liking me. I don't know."

"Uh-huh, I see." Thalia's smile grew to a smirk. "So, he wasn't jealous. Did he act nervous or shifty?"

Annabeth frowned, "What do you mean?"

Thalia rolled her eyes, "I mean, did he seem suspicious like he was trying to keep a secret or something?"

Annabeth thought about it. Percy didn't seem like he was trying to lie or anything, but… he was acting odd when they were watching Sherlock.

"Well, he did ask if I had any idea who it was. I told him no, of course, but then when I asked him if he had any idea of who he could be, he started acting strangely. Rushing to refuse."

Thalia hummed, turning back to the equation they were supposed to be working on when the teacher came by to overlook their progress.

"I don't know, but I still think it could be him."

Annabeth shrugged, solving the equation for x algebraically on the graphing paper they were given. "Yeah well, I'm not so sure. When he dropped me off at my house yesterday he wished me luck with the secret admirer. He didn't seem to be that bothered by the prospect of me finding a boyfriend."

"Or, he could be the secret admirer and his statement had a double meaning."

Both girls turned to their other teammate. It was this sophomore guy that didn't talk much. All Annabeth knew about him was that he took Algebra 2 and Trig so he could be bummed up to PreCalc early.

He shifted under their gaze, "What? I wasn't eavesdropping, you guys are just loud."

Thalia shrugged, "He has a point."

Annabeth shot a look at her before turning back to the guy. "What's your name again?"

The guy lifted his gaze for a split second before hiding his eyes behind his dark fringe. "Nico."

"Okay then, Nico. What do you think I should do?"

"Well, if it were me, I'd just see how it pans out. Maybe mention the secret admirer a few more times around your crush and see how he reacts. He might start getting jealous or reveal himself to be the secret admirer. But you're not going to learn anything if you try to keep him out of the loop."

"..."

"What? You asked for my opinion."

Thalia's shock wore off first. She smiled at Nico and nodded at Annabeth. "Well, there you go. Nice plan Neeks."

Nico blushed, "Don't call me that."

Annabeth smiled too, "She's right though. Thanks for your input."

"Yeah, whatever. Let's just finish this problem alright?"

The girls smiled at each other before focusing back on the exponential function.

_Maybe, if I play my cards right, I could find out how Percy really feels about me._

* * *

**~PJOandHP4Life**


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